The Fortress Across The Street. La Santa Lucia

   Hi Folks,
I have been taking nice walks up at the local fortress called Santa Lucia which was were the early Spanish settlers use to run to when the Native American tribe Mapuche use to attack them.

I have a little bit of history pasted here from wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Luc%C3%ADa_Hill   

   "The hill comprises a 65,300 square metre park^[2] adorned with ornate facades, stairways and fountains. At the highest point there is a viewpoint popular with tourists visiting the city.It was originally called Huelén by the pre-colonization inhabitants. However, the current name comes from the day in which Pedro de Valdivia conquered the hill, on December 13, 1541. That day celebrates "Santa Lucía."

Its first use by its conquerors was as a point of reconnaissance, or a lookout in the years of the Conquista (1541).

In 1816, the Brigadier of the Royal Engineers Manuel Olaguer Feliú, proceeded to draw and build on the Santa Lucía Hill, two forts or castles, one north and another south of the hill, built of stone and lime and able to put eight or twelve cannons each. Besides, Olaguer Feliú drew and built an outbuilding for ammunition depot and to house the garrison.^[3]

On one side of the hill, Fort Hidalgo was finished in 1820 as a defensive point. On the other side, the hillside terrain was used as a "cemetery for the dissidents", people who did not follow the then-official Roman Catholic faith, or were considered otherwise unworthy of burial at hallowed grounds. However, the remains buried in the hillside under this fashion were eventually transferred to a secluded section of the General Cemetery, before said cemetery, in turn, was opened to all burials regardless of creed or social condition.

In 1872 Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna decided to conduct a dramatic change to the urban atmosphere of the city of Santiago, among his many works aimed to improve the city, and thus initiated an extensive remodelation of the hill. The works of 1872 consisted of a road which crossed the hill, which at the top accessed a chapel which he also built there, illuminated by the then-novel means of gas. The rest of the hill contains a park with fountains and lookouts. The actual hill is watered by a sophisticated irrigation system. The now iconic yellow and white facade is also a product of Vicuña Mackenna's remodelation.

Vicuña Mackenna was assisted in realizing his designs by the architect Manuel Aldunate, the constructor Enrique Henes, and the stonecutter Andrés Staimbuck.

A few years ago, Santa Lucía hill received an improvement in its illumination system and protections. Also, Fort Hidalgo was restored and reopened to the public. Traditionally, a cannon shot is fired exactly at noon."  

I happen to live across this street and so it makes quick little hikes for me and my family. This day I went up with my buddy Fred to take a few pics and to promote his hair products Dax. It has also been renamed after me. We take our young three year old Rafael for hikes up here and he now calls it Cerro de Tio Richard.

 Pedro De Valdivia status stands upon the cerro and is the guy that conquered this hill and thus the city of Santiago.

 Looking south on the cerro.

 A Trabajador refinishing the masonry on the memorial steps.

Some nice cactus plants grow all over the hill.

The tall red building is where I live and ride out large earthquakes.

The street below is a major throughfare in downtown Santaigo and is called la Alameda.

I happen to live on the 11th floor of the big red building and ride out the quakes in it all the time now it seems.

  The infamous Mapuche Natives made live hard on the early Spanish settlers and ran them up this hill evidently many times over the centuries.

 Looking north over the city.

  Fred being Fred the consulate male model.

 It is springtime in Santiago and many plants are now blooming here.

Halloween In Chile

Hi Folks,
I write to you the day after Halloween and I can safely say that the Chileans 'get it' and seem to love the American holiday of costumes, parties and going out looking for houses that might participate in the candy give away. Although, Chilean society has not fully accepted the idea of the American holiday Halloween, there is many people that love the idea of the candy fest and of course any and all of the children that are involved with any costume parties or trick or treating get really psyched for this event.

My Wife Lidice is in these two shots and then again with her nephew Rafael.

 These two girls below are Kira and Rafaela my buddy children and they were stoked all day long for the big night out on the town and had their costumes on mid afternoon.

These little scene was in front of Lidice's families house and place out front by Tolo and Jasmine and canned handing out duties manned by cousin Jorge.

Here is a few images from my observations of a Chilean Halloween.

My wife's family and especially her cousin's Tolo and Jasmine go all out and hand out candy to the trick or treaters and make a nice scene of lights for the kids to know that there is candy to be had at their house. In this neighborhood their were many dozens of kids out searching for the houses that participated here in Santiago. The city was teaming until late with families out looking for a house that gave candy and they must have put in a whole lot of kilometers to quench the kids lust for sweets as you would only see maybe one or two houses on any street that gave treats. I did not hear any, "Trick or Treat!" the entire night and the kids with parents in tow would just show up and ring the bell and hold out their bags.